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Armed man shot dead by police in London

LONDON (AFP) – Police on Saturday (Dec 11) said that armed officers shot dead a man in the British capital but the incident was not being treated as terrorism.

A specialist unit was called out after reports of a man seen with a firearm at a bank and a bookmakers in the Kensington area of the city shortly after 3pm (11pm Singapore time).

Some 20 minutes later, the unit stopped a vehicle and shots were fired. Paramedics, including an air ambulance, were called but the man was pronounced dead just before 4.10pm.

“The Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards has been informed and the incident has been referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.”

It added: “The incident is not being treated as terrorism.”

British police are not routinely armed and shootings are rare.

The most recent data suggests there were 30 homicides committed by shooting in England and Wales in the year ending March 31 last year, accounting for 4 per cent of all homicides.

A total of 80 per cent of the victims were male.

Britain recently raised its terror threat level to the second-highest category after a botched bomb attack in Liverpool, north-west England, in November.

A serving member of Parliament was also stabbed to death as he met constituents near Southend, east of London, the previous month.

Police and prosecutors linked both attacks to extremism.

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